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148

Each member to receive a bound

copy of.

Additional copy

of, for each mem

ber.

how distributed.

PUBLIC EXPENDITURES, COM. ON-PUBLIC LANDS, COM. ON.

1847, to be "such publications or books as have been or may be published, procured, or purchased by order of either House of Congress."-Stat. at Large, Vol. IX, p. 201.

"The Clerk shall have preserved for each member of the House an extra copy, in good binding, of all the documents. printed by order of either house."-Rule 18.

[In addition thereto, there is deposited as soon as printed, in the document-room, a copy of each document, subject to Extra copies of, the order of each member; and where extra copies of a document are ordered, they are sent as soon as printed to the folding-room, from whence they are distributed pro rata among the members.]

Two copies of all

to be retained in

"There shall be retained in the library of the Clerk's House library. office, for the use of the members there, and not to be withdrawn therefrom, two copies of all the books and printed documents deposited in the library.”—Rule 17.

When appointed,

and number of.

Its duties.

When appointed, and number of.

Its duties.

(See also PRINTING, PUBLIC, and FRANKING PRIVILEGE.)

PUBLIC EXPENDITURES, COMMITTEE ON.

There shall be appointed at the commencement of each Congress a Committee on Public Expenditures, to consist of nine members.-Rule 74.

“It shall be the duty of the Committee on Public Expenditures to examine into the state of the several public departments, and particularly into laws making appropriations of money, and to report whether the moneys have been disbursed conformably with such laws; and also to report, from time to time, such provisions and arrangements as may be necessary to add to the economy of the departments, and the accountability of their officers."—Rule 85.

PUBLIC LANDS, COMMITTEE ON.

There shall be appointed at the commencement of each Congress a Committee on the Public Lands, to consist of nine members.-Rule 74.

"It shall be the duty of the Committee on the Public Lands to take into consideration all such petitions and matters or things respecting the lands of the United States as shall be

presented, or shall or may come in question, and be referred to them by the House, and to report their opinion thereon, together with such propositions for relief therein as to them shall seem expedient."-Rule 80.

By a resolution of May 27th, 1862, this committee is Allowed a clerk. authorized to employ a clerk, who, in addition to his usual

duties, shall have charge of the land maps.-Journal, 2, 37, p. 760.

PUBLIC PRINTING.

(See PRINTING, PUBLIC, and PRINTING, COMMITTEE ON.)

QUESTIONS.

"The Speaker shall rise to put a question, but may state Speaker it sitting."—Rule 3.

rise to put.

Questions shall be distinctly put in this form, to wit: "As How put. many as are of opinion that (as the question may be), say

6

Aye;'

;" and after the affirmative voice is expressed, "As many as are of the contrary opinion, say 'No.' "—Rule 4. (See, also, TELLERS, and YEAS and NAYS.)

shall

bers while put

"While the Speaker is putting any question, none shall Decorum of memwalk out of or across the House, nor entertain private dis- ting.

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course. -Rule 65.

(See DIVISION OF QUESTIONS.)

(See MOTIONS.)

Division of.

Precedence

&c.

In case of an equal division on a question, the question Tie vote on. shall be lost.-Rule 7. (See also TIE VOTE.)

QUORUM.

of,

"The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several States"-Const., 1, 2, 5; and "a majority of each house shall constitute a quorum to do business; but a smaller Majority constinumber may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized tutes, for busito compel the attendance of absent members in such manner Power of less and under such penalties as each house may provide.' Const., 1, 5, 8.

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ness.

than.

In view of the foregoing clauses of the Constitution, it was Majority of mem

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stitutes.

bers chosen con- decided, during the 37th Congress, to which several of the States had failed to send representatives, that a majority of the members chosen constituted a quorum to do business.Journal, 1, 37, p. 117.

What

consti

tutes, in choos. ing the President.

One-fifth of, may

A quorum of the House for the purpose of choosing the President shall consist of a member or members from twothirds of the States.-Const., 2, 1, 16.

Tellers may be ordered upon motion seconded by at least order tellers. one-fifth of a quorum of the members.-Rule 4. [Equal to twenty-four members.]

Journal to be

ance of.

The Speaker each day on the meeting of the House," and read on appear on the appearance of a quorum, shall cause the Journal of the preceding day to be read."-Rule 1. And it is a very common practice when no quorum is present upon the Speaker taking the chair, for him to entertain a motion for a call of the House before causing the Journal to be read.—Journal, 1, 35, p. 840.

Less than, can only call House or adjourn.

Want of, in Committees of the Whole.

Where not present, a member.

Where less than a quorum is present, a motion to take a recess is not in order, and no motion is in order except for a call or to adjourn.—Journals, 1, 29, p. 356; 2, 29, p. 343; 2, 32, p. 388.

"Whenever the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, or the Committee of the Whole House, finds itself without a quorum, the chairmain shall cause the roll of the House to be called, and thereupon the committee shall rise, and the chairman shall report the names of the absentees to the House, which shall be entered on the Journal.” -Rule 126. And as soon (after rising for such purpose) as a quorum is ascertained to be present, the House must return into committee.-Journal, 2, 27, p. 592.

"Whenever during business it is observed that a quorum may call for is not present, any member may call for the House to be counted, and being found deficient, business is suspended."

count.

Right of member

to insist on,

—Manual, p. 63, also p. 79.

(See, also, CALLS OF THE HOUSE.)

READING OF PAPERS.

"Where papers are laid before the House or referred to

where called to a committee, every member has a right to have them once

vote on them.

read at the table before he can be compelled to vote on them"-Manual, p. 93; and this applies to the reading of papers on a motion to refer them.-Journal, 1, 34, p. 1146. And so in regard to any proposition submitted for a vote of the House; but it being a right derived from the rules, he may at any time (when a motion to suspend the rules is in But may be deorder) be deprived of it by a suspension of the rules-Jour- suspension of the nals, 1, 32, p. 1116; 3, 34, p. 618; 2, 35, p. 572-even after the main question is ordered to be put.-Journal, 3, 34, p. 386.

prived of it by a

rules.

to.

"When the reading of a paper is called for, and the same where objected is objected to by any member, it shall be determined by a vote of the House."-Rule 141.

the 57th Rule in

[The rule above recited is not construed to apply to the Construction of single reading of a paper or proposition upon which the House regard to. may be called upon to give a vote, or to the several regular readings of a bill, but to cases where a paper has been once read, or a bill has received its regular reading and another is called for, and also where a member desires the reading of a paper having relation to the subject before the House.] But it does not apply to the case of an amendment which a mem- In case of ber, by leave, has given notice of his intention at a future which notice is time to offer.-Journal, 1, 31, p. 1149.

an

amendment of

given.

called for.

The reading of a report relating to a pending proposition Where cannot be cannot be called for after the previous question is seconded, as it would be in the nature of debate.-Journal, 1, 23, p.

726.

RECESS.

Where it is convenient that the business of the House be May be taken. suspended for a short time, as for a conference presently to be held, &c., it adjourns during pleasure.-Manual, p. 131. [The practice of the House in regard to the privileged

vileged one.

character of the motion for a recess has varied in different Motion for a priCongresses, but in the two last it was held to be a privileged question-See Journals, 1, 36, pp. 753, 759; 2, 37, pp. 718, 719; and such was manifestly the practice contemplated in the Manual.]

152

Less than quorum cannot take. Not in

RECOMMIT, MOTION TO-RECONSIDER, MOTION TO.

It is not in order for less than a quorum to take a recess— order Journals, 1, 29, p. 356; 2, 32, p. 388; nor, pending a call of the House, can a recess be taken unless by unanimous consent. Ibid., 1, 26, p. 843.

pending call of

House.

Where it is proposed to take a recess, by adjournment, for For more than more than three days, the Senate must consent before it can be taken.-Const., 1, 5, 9.—(See ADJOURNMENT.)

three days.

time before pas

not if main question is ordered.

RECOMMIT, MOTION TO.

In order at any "After commitment and report thereof to the House, or sage of bill, but at any time before its passage, a bill may be recommitted." -Rule 124. But not after the main question is ordered to be put.-Journal, 1, 29, p. 643. [Nor, according to the practice, even pending the demand for the previous question.] In case of recom." And should such recommitment take place after its engrossengrossment. ment, and an amendment be reported and agreed to by the House, the question shall be again put on the engrossment of the bill."—Rule 124.-(See COMMIT, MOTION TO.)

mitment after

Who may make.

When to made.

RECONSIDER, MOTION TO.

"When a motion has been once made and carried in the affirmative or negative, it shall be in order for any member of the majority to move for the reconsideration thereof, on be the same or succeeding day; and such motion shall take prePrecedence of. cedence of all other questions, except a motion to adjourn; Cannot be with- and shall not be withdrawn after the said succeeding day time elapsed for without the consent of the House, and thereafter any memAny member ber may call it up for consideration."-Rule 49.

drawn after the

making.

may call up.

Who may make,

A fair construction of this rule will permit a member who in case of tie vote. has voted with the prevailing side on a tie vote to move a reconsideration. Such is evidently the spirit of the rule.— Journal, 1, 30, p. 1081. [And such has been the subsequent practice.]

May be entered,

but not consider

It is in order at any time on the same or succeeding day ed while another to move a reconsideration and have it entered, but it cannot question is up. be taken be taken up and considered while another question is before the House.-Journal, 1, 34, pp. 1476, 1477.

May be enter

A motion to reconsider, if made in time, may be enter

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